First, work on improving our daily choices.  We pay attention to what and how much we eat.  We strive to be physically and mentally active.  We run marathons and take classes, join clubs and volunteer.  We go to the gym and work puzzles.  Fruits, veggies, and protein yes.  Sugar, alcohol, and caffeine no (well, maybe).  Research shows that mental function is enhanced what we choose to do (or not).

Second, some of us take steps to prepare for the future in practical terms. Long-term care insurance, wills, powers of attorney, and trusts all allow us to evaluate options and signal our desires while we can. Proactive steps reflect a desire to influence the outcome and the generosity to relieve loved ones of making tough decisions in a vacuum.

Third, many of us face the prospect of aging ungracefully by focusing more intently on the present moment.  We celebrate our current state of health and clarity. We enjoy the people we love and do not take lightly the fact that we have access to memories of shared experiences.  We may also recognize that dementia is itself the embodiment of present-moment awareness.  The more comfortable we are with the "now" and the less we rely for happiness on past friends, family, achievements, and experiences, the better we might accept a future when memories fade.   

Finally, I personally have been considering a fourth option for coping with mental decline.  (I risk the possibility that it will appear morbid to some of you in the hope that it might have positive resonance for others.)  I have begun to see the aging process as a prequel for the next big adventure.  I love life and avoid thinking much about death, but it's out there.  I am going to a funeral today, honoring the life of a neighbor four years my junior.  Each day another celebrity makes the obituary page; another friend loses a family member.  One day it will be me. It seems that the process of losing the faculties of my youth might help me with the challenge of letting go.  As the brain weakens, I might accept more peacefully the prospect of breaking free when the time comes.